Subway Fate
by theBrutalityofReality
Summary: Ludwig is running late to a job interview. He ends up missing his subway because he helps a clumsy Italian artist. Could this perhaps be destiny? Hetalia AU, Germany/Italy.


**Author's Note:** Yeah…more Hetalia fanfiction! But it's my first Hetalia AU!

So yeah…just a little Germany/Italy oneshot. I simply adore that pairing~! A little too much, haha! The idea for this fic came to me when I was waiting for my subway earlier today. And New Yorkers, don't be offened by one comment in my fanfiction, 'cause I'm a New Yorker too xD!

But yes, please enjoy!

Ludwig hated taking the subway.

Ever since he moved to New York City, he only used the subway a handful of times. Most of the time, the German simply preferred to walk. Rain or shine, he would walk. Ludwig did not mind walking at all. It was good exercise, and he preferred it to the subway any day. He hated that dreaded underground train system. The trains were almost always late, which agitated the extremely punctual side of him. They were also packed to the gills usually. He was the type of person that enjoyed personal space, which he could not get on the Subway. And on top of those reasons, it seemed like the freakiest of freaks rode the Subway. In his few experiences on it, he had seen sights that he wished to forget. These were all numerous reasons for his distaste in the New York City Subway System.

But despite his dislike for it, he found himself using it today. And he was only using it for one purpose - to try and get a new job. He had a job interview to get to that was "conveniently" located on the other side of the city. Unfortunately, his older brother/moocher/unwanted roommate decided to play a prank on him this morning. Gilbert, his older brother, thought it would be funny to unplug his alarm clock. Because the alarm clock had been unplugged, he had woken up late. After beating the crap out of his brother (though it was more of a mutual fight), Ludwig started to get ready. Since he was running so late, he had to utilize the subway. After putting on one of his best suits, he rushed out of the apartment and headed down to the nearest station.

It really was not his day at all. First, his MetroCard did not want to scan today. After about ten tries he finally got through. But since he had wasted so much time doing this, he missed the train. Annoyed, Ludwig just took a seat on the nearby bench. The whole time he was sitting on the bench he simply stared at his watch, staring at the second-hand intently. He refused to be late to the interview. He had about fifteen minutes until he was supposed to be there. IF the subway was on time, which he highly doubted, he would probably be able to make it with about three minutes to spare. He wasn't exactly comfortable with this, but it would have to do. While staring at his watch, he contemplated if it was really worth it. He did have a job right now. He worked at a convenience store as the assistant manager. He didn't really mind his job, it wasn't the problem at all. It was his boss that was the problem. His boss, the manager, was some French guy that he absolutely despised. Ludwig also seemed to get the most work out of all the employees. He had a feeling that his boss didn't like him, and was picking on him for some reason. On top of that, his boss was a huge pervert. Seriously…the guy was disgusting. He really could not handle working under that guy for one more day. So he really hoped that he would get this other job. It was an assistant manager position at some tea shop. He really did not drink tea at all, but he would for the sake of this.

He sighed. The train should have been here two minutes ago. There was nothing he could do but wait. He actually looked up from his watch, just in time to see some young man pass by. The young man had his hands full with numerous canvases and pallets. Ludwig assumed him to be some sort of artist. But it looked like it was too much for him to carry. And apparently it was, since he tripped over something shortly after, dropping everything he was carrying. He made a slight yelp, immediately beginning to scramble for his belongings. New Yorkers were infamous for being rude, so many were stepping on his canvases, leaving footprints behind. Ludwig saw this, actually feeling bad for the artist. He surprisingly rose to his feet to help the artist. Despite wearing a fine suit, he knelt down and picked up some of the canvases. While picking them up, he was able to see just how beautiful they were. It was obvious that this young man was an exceptional artist. Even though Ludwig knew next to nothing about art, he knew that there was something special about these. He studied each of them for a moment, but stopped when he realized what he was doing. He cleared his throat before speaking.

"Um…you dropped these." He said, offering them to the copper-haired boy. The boy looked up to him after he spoke, only just noticing the other. He smiled widely when he saw him.

"Oh, thanks! That was really nice of you to stop and help me! Most people just stepped on them." He responded to the blonde. Ludwig was slightly taken back by his happiness. It was so…odd. He was a little TOO happy for someone who had just fallen and had their paintings stepped on.

"Yeah, sure…don't mention it." Ludwig awkwardly replied. He was unsure if he should comment on his art or something. He ultimately decided that he should. "Did you draw all of these? They are really…well, good." Ludwig commented, though it again sounded awkward. The other man beamed at this compliment.

"Really? You think so? Wow, thank you so much! It really means a lot to me when people compliment my art. I've always drawn and painted pictures. My Grandpa used to always say that I was a good artist, but my brother said that I sucked. He still says that I suck, actually! Ah well, I just do it for fun! Painting really is so much fun. I love to…" The smaller man spoke about a mile a minute. Ludwig did not hear any of this, and just stared at the young man in disbelief. How he was able to breath while talking that fast was beyond him.

"…So, what's your name?" The smaller man finally concluded. This was also actually audible to Ludwig.

"Ludwig…" He said, still bewildered by the rapid speaking.

"That's a nice name! I'm Feliciano Vargas!" Feliciano offered a warm smile to Ludwig, but Ludwig did not smile back. "So, where are you heading?" Feliciano asked.

"I actually have a job interview in-" Ludwig was cut off when he saw the train that he was supposed to be on shut its doors and drive away. Ludwig stared at this sight absolutely shocked. He missed the train AGAIN. Feliciano noticed Ludwig's shock.

"Ve? Is something wrong, Ludwig?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, something is wrong! I just missed my train because I was helping you! Now I'm going to be late to my interview." Ludwig screamed at the other. He was not particularly mad at Feliciano in particular, but the situation as a whole.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Feliciano said, actually looking like he was on the verge of tears. Ludwig felt a slight tinge of guilt after he saw this. He almost apologized, but decided to just push past the Italian and run. He might get there quicker if he ran, and he wouldn't have to deal with the nearly crying Italian. It was a slightly cowardly move, but Ludwig disregarded it for now. He doubted that he would ever see Feliciano Vargas again…

* * *

"You come a half-hour late and expect me to STILL give you an interview?"

A blonde man with very odd eyebrows spat at Ludwig. They were currently inside some sort of tea shop. Ludwig was panting, since he ran across the city to get here. He looked quite disheveled. His hair that was usually neat and slicked back was all over the place. There were a few stains on his pants, and he had also removed the jacket from his suit while he was running.

"My apologies, Mr. Kirkland. I missed my subway, so I had to walk here." More like run, but that was beside the point. The Englishman just scoffed at this comment.

"Don't even try to use excuses! I'm not going to buy any of that rubbish!" England said sternly to Ludwig. "If you wanted the job, you should have been here on time! Punctuality is important in the work force, but you seem to be incapable of being punctual!" Ludwig twitched in annoyance at this comment. Where the hell did this bastard come off saying shit like that? What gave him the right to judge Ludwig? He DIDN'T have the right. Ludwig nearly lost his temper, but tried to calm himself down.

"Please, sir…if you just give me another chance…" He began.

"Another chance?" Arthur said in shock. "You really expect another chance after you were late? I don't give second chances at all! So just get the hell out of my shop!" Arthur yelled.

"Fine…" Ludwig said, lightly punching a large display of tea boxes, which caused them all to collapse. "Tea sucks anyway…" He muttered before exiting the store. Arthur yelled some rude language that Ludwig merely ignored. Even though he was angry, he was more upset than anything. He really wanted that job…and he blew it. If he had not stopped to help that weird kid, he would have been on time. A part of Ludwig felt glad that he met Feliciano, but another part of him was angry. He was just confused as hell. And he knew one thing that could help him with this confusion – beer.

It was currently about six o'clock. Ludwig spent the majority of his day in some bar near the tea shop. He did not go to get wasted but just to sulk over a beer. He had a shift today at the convenience store but he did not bother going. The bar had started to get crowded, so Ludwig decided to just go home. He was beyond exhausted, and all he wanted to do was go to bed. He was so tired that he didn't even want to walk home. He found himself using the subway yet again. Hopefully this time would go better than the last…

He was seated on another bench, not taking his eyes off the platform. He did not want to miss it again. He refused to do it twice in one day. But as he stared at the platform in front of him, he noticed someone standing on the opposite platform. Someone he thought that he would never see again. He was not sure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. The exact moment that Ludwig noticed him, Feliciano noticed Ludwig. His face beamed with happiness, and he started to wave to Ludwig. Ludwig looked down, pretending that he did not notice the Italian waving at him. Felicano frowned when Germany did not wave back. When Ludwig looked up again a moment later, but Feliciano was not there. He stared in confusion. He felt a slight tinge of regret. What if that was his one last chance to see Feliciano? And he left it like…that. Ludwig sighed. That boy was just making things so complicated.

"Hi~!"

Ludwig jumped when he heard this. He turned to where he heard the voice. Speak of the devil, Feliciano was standing right in front of him wearing that stupid smile. This kid was so weird, but Ludwig felt oddly attracted to him. He was not sure in what sense he was attracted, but it was certainly present.

"Hi…" Ludwig muttered quietly, not much expression present in his tone. Feliciano frowned softly at this.

"Are you still mad about earlier?" Feliciano asked in a sweet tone. Ludwig let out another sigh. The kid was just too nice. How could he possibly stay mad at him?

"No…I'm not." Ludwig paused, glancing over to the other. "And I'm sorry I yelled at you. I wasn't mad at you…just the situation." Ludwig said in a quiet tone of voice. Feliciano beamed when Ludwig said this. He actually dropped all of his canvases to hug him.

"I'm so glad that you're not mad at me~! I was so worried that you would hate me forever. I'm just glad that you don't hate me!" Feliciano tightened the hug after he said this. Ludwig was amazed by how tight the kid could hug. He was so little. It was weird that he could give such strong hugs. But Ludwig did not push him away. It actually felt sort of…nice. No one ever hugged him like this. He patted Feliciano on the back lightly during the hug. He thought that he should say something, but he didn't. Feliciano let him go soon after this. He took a seat next to him on the bench.

"So…how was your day?" Feliciano asked. Ludwig simply gave a look that summed up just how his day was. "Oh…I see. Well if it makes you feel any better, my day wasn't all that great. Remember how I told you I was bringing art to the museum?" Ludwig really did not remember this, since Felicano had been talking so fast earlier today, but he pretended he did.

"Uh…yeah." Ludwig replied.

"Well, Mr. Edelstein said that my art was too dirty. I think it's because of the foot prints." Feliciano said, but he did not sound bitter or sore at all. Ludwig was so shocked by this. How could he not be upset? If he hadn't tripped, his art would be hanging in a famous museum! But he was just so…optimistic! He wasn't dwelling in his mistakes. He was looking to the future. Ludwig felt a slight tinge of jealousy. Why was it that Feliciano was able to look to the future but Ludwig was stuck worrying in the past? Ludwig wanted to be able to do that to. He wanted that more than anything…

"Oh…I'm sorry to hear about your art." Ludwig said quietly. Feliciano smiled, shaking his head.

"Nah, don't worry about it! It was probably just meant to happen like this!" Feliciano stated. Ludwig blinked in confusion.

"What do you mean by 'meant to happen like this'?" Ludwig asked, not understanding the statement.

"Well, I've always believed that everything happens for a reason. Y'know, kinda like that one term I can't remember. If something bad happens, that means something good is gonna come up soon! I know that something good will happen real soon!" Feliciano optimistically stated. Ludwig processed this for a moment. He never believed in stuff like this. He never wondered why things happened. He sort of just…let them happen. But this was an interesting motto to live by. And it really did suit Feliciano well. This simple statement was causing such a revelation in the mind of Ludwig. He just wondered…would something good be in his near future? Or perhaps…something good was happening right now on this bench.

"Oh…I see." Ludwig paused. "That's…well, it's sort of beautiful." Ludwig said, offering a smile to Feliciano for the first time.

"Hey, you can smile! I was starting to think that you couldn't! And it's a nice one too!" Feliciano stated cheerfully. Ludwig felt a slight blush form on his cheek. He muttered a thank you, but it was barely heard. The conversation ended abruptly when a train entered the station. Ludwig looked up and saw that it was the train that he had to take.

"My train is here…" He said, rising to his feet. Feliciano frowned slightly.

"Oh…okay. Well, I better get back to my platform. Mine should be here soon too. Ciao, Ludwig!" Feliciano raced off soon after this, carrying all of his belongings with him. But he left one canvas behind. Ludwig caught sight of it just as he was about to board his train.

"Hey, you left your…" Ludwig began, but Feliciano was nowhere in sight. Ludwig picked up the canvas. He didn't look at though, since he noticed the door to the train start to close. Ludwig ran like lightning, making it in the nick of time. Thankfully, the train was not very crowded. He took a seat and finally glanced at the canvas. He was shocked by what he saw. It was a painting that was obviously created today. It was a painting of the station that he was at this morning. And he was in the picture, along with Feliciano. He was helping Feliciano pick up his belongings, just like he had done this morning. It was…so amazing. Ludwig stared at it the entire ride home, absolutely amazed. He had to see Feliciano…he had to! But how? He didn't know his phone number, his address, anything like that. It was hopeless. But while he stared at the painting, something caught his eye. In the background of the painting, there were numerous posters. Most of them were for movies, Broadway shows, things like that. But one poster simply had words. Words that looked like…an address? Was this perhaps Feliciano's address? Had he left the painting on purpose? Ludwig did not have the slightest idea.

But despite his uncertainty, Ludwig went to that address the next day. And it was Feliciano's address.

* * *

Feliciano was indeed right. Everything did happen for a reason, and good things were bound to come. Soon after their encounter, Feliciano and Ludwig began to date. As of now, they are currently engaged. Soon after, the owner of the convenience store fired Francis due to his molestation, and complaints from employees. Because Francis was fired, Ludwig was offered the manager position. Even though there was a lot of good happening, things were far from perfect. Ludwig's older brother still continues to mooch off him, and he seems to be a bit TOO interested in his brother's boyfriend. Feliciano also went back to the museum with clean art, but Roderich Edelstein still refused to add it to the museum. But he remains optimistic, as he knows that good is bound to come.

To think, all of this occurred because of Feliciano's tripping.


End file.
